Equi Tech Q-2 or Powersnake Hydra

Goone,

I couldn't help but notice your post. I'll tell you a little story and hopefully it may answer your questions from a different perspective...

As a dealer, albeit a small one, I've been fortunate to play with alot of goodies. About three years ago I stumbled across the rewards of powerconditioning and powercords. Since then I've been on a personal mission (for the benefit of my own living room system) to find the best sounding a/c products available regardless of costs. Some background history... My personal system is Audio Aero Capitole II, CAT Ultimate preamp, Audiopax monoblocks, Avantgarde Duos 3.2's, EPS powercables, Full Acoustic Zen cabling, 3 Vibraplanes, listening room treatments by ASC tube traps. I've been lucky enough to have experimented with quite a large list of products including but not limited to PS Audio, Hydra, Richard Gray, Equitech, CFX, Burmester, Tice, etc. Then one day I read a review on enjoythemusic.com that sparked my curiosity. I said, "Ah, a conditioner I that haven't tried". So I called Jerry Ramsey @Audio Magic & arranged for a well broken in "Stealth power conditioner" unit for evaluation. He sent me this cheap looking, almost weightless plastic box which comes with a little red powercord. I thought to myself what the heck is this thing. It just has to suck bigtime. Well I plugged it in and within the next few weeks I was rewarded with the best music reproduction my system aver made. To say I re-discovered my music all over again is a total understatement. Re-reading the review for comparison to my own notes I come to the conclusion that the reviewer seriously understated the capabilities of this little box. Probably for some industry political and personal reasons no doubt. But given my level and where my system needs to go, I was taken very hard by this device. I called Jerry Ramsey and made arrangements to become his central FL dealer. I thought some of my experiences may be helpful. The best thing I can recommend is to explore this little unit.

Regards,
Tony

Tony, have you tried Foundation Researches in-line power conditioners, the LC-1 and LC-2?

What did you hear with the Stealth pc that you did not hear with the other units tried?

Also, which Acoustic Zen models have you chosen for your home system? Why AZ and these models? And what were the top runner-ups?

-Thanks

Hi Tony, could you give me more details and perhaps a pic. How much does it cost? I am using the PS Audio plant. Heard the Hydra. Like it a lot!

Thank you.

Ham

Tony, thanks for your response also I had been doing little reading here at audiogon and stealth magic had came across coupled of times but not enough info for me to be interested also I really don't want to take the product home and try it out and have to return to the dealer I just don't like that so really looking for one that I can keep for awhile what model of stealth magic you are talking about and what is their price? Also I saw you are using acoustic zen cable, and I am running the silver interconnect at this moment but had never try their speaker cable out, mine is cardas golden reference.

I have not had the opportunity to listen to any of the products from Foundations Research. Most of the popular conditioners like the ones I listened to before are really good and all seem to have their specific strengths. Before I heard the Stealth in my system, I preferred the CFX over the others I mentioned. It seemed to give me a much more transparent & detailed but even sweeter presentation with a fantastic bottom end. The CFX was no exception. It was very fussy about powercords. Even the input cable made as much difference as what cables were feeding my components. It was really one big juggling act...

As good as the CFX was, I inserted the Stealth and it's contributions and impovements over the CFX were instantly identifiable and it kind of shocked me because I wasn't expecting much. It was pretty startling actually. What I specifically heard at plug-in was the this stripping of a haze & blurriness and in it's place was a directness that I never heard with any of the other products I've tried. After a few hours of settling I began to hear this wealth of harmonics develop. Music was really more coherent and lifelike.

The Stealth took a few weeks to totally settle in. At this point there were a couple of things it was doing. The first one is a high frequency and bass presentation that is so remarkable and lifelike it's just plain awesome. The second one is this sense of transparency and sense of nothing between you and the music. The sense of transparency I'm trying to convey is that sense of directness which is the same thing I noticed when I had my first experience with electrostatic speakers. The last and really it's the most important aspect for me is that thing took my system way up in its' emotional performance...

I have the stealth and it is awesome but if you saw it you'd swear the thing didnt cost more than a hundred bucks. Anyways ... i havent compared it to anything like tony has. I read the comprehensive review on enjoythemusic.com and i was sold. Not to mention it was cheaper than the hydra. Anyways, all i know is that it made a huge difference in my system... and i am grateful. Thanks

Also I heard there is a new product from Magic call matrix I think had anyone heard of it.